Whispering Wood
by ExAxL
Summary: At the end of the city, there is the place where the wind cries. No one goes there, and for obvious reasons. But Alice's courage is fueled by old stories passed down from her Grandmother. It's said that the forest is pitch black inside. Will a flashlight be enough to help Alice find her way, or will the insane rumors about the place become real enough to keep Alice trapped forever?
1. Where There Is An Old Woman's Story

**Hullo gais! It's ME! No duh, right? Well, I deleted a few of my more lacking stories to make room for this. Sorry if you were a fan, but those stories just couldn't be pushed any further... ANYWAY! After a Chronicles of Narnia marathon, I said to hell with it and wrote it down!**

* * *

**1. Where There Is An Old Woman's Story**

_"In the Whispering Wood, you'll find a place._  
_Where the things there are not of our race._  
_They hide in shadows, big and small._  
_In the bodies of animals, long and tall._

_But those people are long gone._  
_Nothing is left._  
_But a few stragglers here and there._  
_Left for nothing but death._

_That's the Whispering Wood, the forest where wind cries._  
_It glittered and glowed with brightness, until humans made it die._  
_But some people say there are a certain special few._  
_Those who's hearts are kind enough to see through false hues._

_But where are these people?_  
_Are there really any left?_  
_And if there are such good people still on Earth,_  
_Why is the Whispering Wood still undead?"_

Alice's Grandmother closed her eyes, the wrinkles in her forehead softening. She was visiting her grandchildren again, just like she'd done last Sunday.

She was currently telling Alice's favorite story - more of a poem, but a story no less - about a secret world that was inside the old forest at the far edges of the city.

It was called the Whispering Wood, and inside there was no light. If you didn't bring some kind of light before you went in, you could wander in circles for days. Some people had been dumb, not bringing anything because they were too proud to admit that they'd need help. Most of them either starved or were attacked by animals. There were a few that came out intact, but not without babbling for days over utter nonsense; things like shapeshifting people, glowing mushrooms, and streams that spoke if you were quiet enough.

The woods were meant to be torn down, to have housing placed over it. But once the workers entered the forest, they ran out screaming like babies. The city never bothered to do anything about it; nothing more than placing **"NO TRESPASSING"** signs over trees.

Alice's Grandma, Marcie, cleared her throat. She resumed the story;

_"Now you see, these people that live in the woods, they are no ordinary people. They mold their bodies into those of wild beasts._  
_Their minds are completely human, however, and they feel every human thought and emotion._

_The men are handsome and bold, the women are beautful and smart._  
_And they carry out their business, with love in their hearts._  
_They are happy people._  
_This is true, for they've told me so."_

Edith frowned."Nuh-uh, how can they tell you when they're not real?"

"Hush Edith! And how do you know they're not real?"

"Because animal people don't exist!"

Alice, watching the spectacle, only giggled. Edith had a temper when it came to being wrong, and Grandma Marcie had a temper when it involved being corrected.

Alice, who was only 9, dreamed about that forest. She wondered if it was real, if those people were real, and wondered what it would be like to watch them turn into animals.

_I can hear the rest later. Hm... I want cookies!_

And that was how the rest of the afternoon went, Alice ate cookies in her room while drawing people with bunny ears. She could still hear her granny and sister arguing downstairs.

**TIME SKIP - 7 YEARS LATER -**

_Breathe in, breathe out. In. Out._

Alice walked down the freshly painted halls of her new highschool. She had just transferred from her old school to this one, known as Sacred Heart. She didn't have any friends, and the year was halfway over. Was there any point in making friends so late in the year? It was lunch for her, so Alice skipped and explored the building.

_I hate this place..._

As boring as math class is, something made it tolerable for once. Not bothering to pay attention, Alice opened her notebook and found something interesting.

_It's a picture... of the Whispering Wood! I drew this so long ago..._

For the rest of the day Alice thought about nothing but the woods. She felt a swelling desire to explore it, but it was dark inside, wasn't it? Would a flashlight really help? Maybe a construction worker's L.E.D. flashlight? How cool would it be to see a real shape-shifter? Today was Friday, so tomorrow she could take a train to the outskirts of the city and check it out.

_Daddy still has his flashlights in the garage. I'll get them right after school!_

And that was how it all began. A poorly drawn picture that had been forgotten, a poem revived in the back of her mind, and a box of flashlights hidden in a cabinet.

_Tomorrow is gonna be so cool!_

* * *

**Yeah I know it's moving fast but give it a chance, will ya?**

**PUH-REASE! Give suggestions with Godly might! **

**What's your favorite animal?  
What does the heart of the forest look like?  
Are there evil monsters living there?**

**Good Lord, I NEED ANSWERS!**


	2. Where There Is A Black Forest

**2. Where There Is A Black Forest and a White Rabbit**

Alice was told multiple times throughout the day to stop drawing in her notebook, all by different teachers. But that's where all her thoughts were.

She was now drawing a big pouty mushroom, loaded with spots.

3...2...1...

_DING~_

The class shuffled out, whooping about all the things they'd be doing on Saturday to their friends in the hallway. Alice couldn't do that. She didn't have any friends. But that didn't stop her from having excitement anyway.

Now she just had to find that bagful of flashlights.

...

After loading up a backpack with four flashlights, a small blanket, a roll of bandages, and some snacks, Alice said bye to her Daddy. She told him she was going shopping at the Blue Light District, a well-known place filled with local business and stores.

After boarding the train that ran in a complete circle around the city, Alice waited for her stop. Back when the city was first built and was nothing more than a village, train tickets costed a fortune. Now they weren't any more expensive than a stuffed toy, which was a convenience for people like her.

Sitting next to the window, Alice watched as the neighborhood changed. They passed big manors, all those houses and estates where the ritzy people lived, then into the everyday suburbs, like the one she lived in. The closer they got to the outskirts of the city, the dirtier the housing became. The slums were filled with old houses that were slowly falling apart, people who walked around in sweatpants with cigarettes hanging from their lips. People who were, because of the hardships they faced, far too rebellious for Alice's taste. But she couldn't really blame them, now could she?

The brakes slammed and screeched. Alice tumbled forward in her seat. She looked out the window.

"Welcome to Kaney Fort", a sign read.

_So I'm in Kaney Fort now? That's not too far from the Wood..._

Exiting the train, Alice looked around. Kaney Fort was an old hamlet, known for being quiet and reserved. Alice hadn't been here since she was 5, so lots of things looked different. Gripping the straps on her pack, Alice walked down the dirt road that led outside the walls of Kaney Fort, passing several shops along the way. They were cute, ornate, and Alice made a mental note to come shopping after she was done exploring the Wood.

The air was crisp, and it felt...soft? Alice had never felt such embracing winds. Living in the city was nice, but nature was hard to come by. It seemed even potted plants had a hard time living in the city.

After walking for a good fifteen minutes, Alice saw a patch of trees forming over the horizon. Whether it was excitement or fear of the unknown, Alice wasn't sure, but she noticed that she was no longer walking, but running instead. More trees came into view. They slowly spread across the horizon, the bark darker than the deepest shades of nutmeg, and the leaves reflected the color of ripe honeydew.

The once dirt trail suddenly turned into stones, old and chipped and carelessly strewn together. Alice stopped abruptly, panting heavily. Strands of hair stuck to her cheek and forehead, small beads of sweat rolling down her face. Looking up, Alice's sea-foam eyes scanned the trees. She had really done it... She'd finally seen the Whispering Wood!

_So beautiful..._

_But what does the inside look like?_

With her mini blue flashlight in hand, Alice flipped it on and swirled through the trees a few times. Cautiously entering the forest, passing the first few trees, Alice looked over her shoulder every few steps. The last thing she needed was to get lost.

The rumors were true. It was almost black inside the forest. Alice kept a grip tightly on whatever tree her hand collided with. Glancing back, she could barely see the light that filtered through the entrance.

_I need to turn around!_

Whipping around, she hurried back to the exit. Seeing the full sunshine pierced her eyes, and she blinked repeatedly.

"Heh...hahaha! Yes!" Alice laughed loudly to herself, jumping around in a circle joyously. "I did it! Yay!" she cried.

...

After the wave of excitement had washed away, Alice slumped against the stump of a tree, propping herself against the roots for a makeshift chair. She opened her food satchel, which contained some bread and cheese, fruit, and a few pieces of dried beef.

Swapping between bites of the bread and cheese, Alice was blissfully content. Until she heard a twig shift a few feet away.

_Crunch, crunch_

Her eyes widened. Was it a wild animal? A rogue or a bandit?

_Rustle, crunch_

A ball popped through the bushes.

_Oh, it's just a rabbit...how cute!_

Yes. It was a solid white rabbit, whiter than snow. It's beady red eyes reflected on Alice's hands. Or rather, the piece of lettuce that was in her hand. _Oh, it's hungry...?_

She slowly extended her arm, careful not to scare the creature away. It sniffed, wriggling it's nose, and crawled forward. It's whiskers pressed against her fingers, and it snatched the lettuce without a second thought. Gripping the lettuce in its tiny paws, the rabbit chewed quietly on the leafy green, it's ruby-red eyes never leaving Alice's blue-green orbs.

"You're so cute..." Slowly, she reached out, and graced her fingers against its ear. It twitched beneath her touch, but the rabbit didn't pull away. Rather, it accepted her gesture, crawling into her hands. She petted it, the feeling of the soft white fur addicting. She lightly tapped its pink nose, making the whiskers twitch.

She sat the rabbit down.

"I wish I could take you home, but Daddy probably wouldn't like that... And you belong in the wild, anyway," Alice babbled to no one in general. Little did she know, the rabbit was listening to every word she said, and understood every sentence she created.

"Here," she said, placing another lettuce leaf on the ground, followed by a slice of cheese and a piece of celery. "Bye, little rabbit~"

Once Alice was out of sight, the rabbit crept over to the snack. It glanced down, and nibbled at the celery.

_Please return to me, Human girl. You're so generous! And...beautiful! I wish I knew your name! That way, I could proclaim my love to you!*_

_Hurry back! _

_Hurry back!_

* * *

**Yeah, I made a rabbit understand human lingo. Deal with it :)**

**We're slowly getting to the better stuff. The only sucky thing about writing stories is getting past introductions.**


End file.
